Gay wins Humana Challenge in playoff

January 20, 2013|Reuters

Brian Gay poses with the trophy after winning the Humana Challenge at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West. (Jeff Gross/Getty Photo)

LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Brian Gay clinched his fourth PGA Tour title in champion style when he beat fellow American Charles Howell III and Swede David Lingmerth in a sudden-death playoff to win the Humana Challenge on Sunday.

Gay, 41, sealed victory in fading light on the Palmer Private course at PGA West after striking a superb approach to five feet at the par-four 10th, the second extra hole, and coolly sinking the birdie putt.

Howell, bidding to claim his first title on the U.S. circuit in six years, bogeyed the hole after ending up in the back left bunker, splashing out to nine feet beyond the pin and missing the par putt.

PGA Tour rookie Lingmerth was eliminated at the first extra hole, the par-five 18th, where he bogeyed after hitting his second shot into water. Howell, with a solid two-putt, and Gay, who chipped to four feet, both birdied the hole.

The trio had finished the 72 regulation holes on 25-under-par 263, Howell signing off with an eight-under 64, Gay carding a 63 and Lingmerth matching the day's best score with a 62.

American Scott Stallings, five strokes in front overnight, bogeyed the par-five last after hitting his second shot into water to drop out of the lead for the first time in the final round, finishing with a 70 in a tie for fourth at 24 under.

"There weren't any nerves or anything like that going into it," Stallings told reporters about his wayward six-iron approach at the 18th. "Just hit a bad shot.

"Felt like I made a good swing, just the ball ... got a bad kick and went in the water. But it is what it is.

"Coming down the stretch on the 72nd hole, you can't make mistakes like that. And it stinks, but it's something that I'll definitely learn from."

Stallings had been in control of the tournament after firing a 63 in Saturday's third round and he maintained his five-shot lead with three birdies in his first four holes, narrowly missing an eagle putt from nine feet at the par-five second.

However he faltered at the seventh with a three-putt bogey, his par putt from inside two feet catching the left edge of the cup and spinning away for his lead to be cut to two strokes.

Stallings then failed to take advantage of the driveable par-four eighth, chipping from greenside rough to three feet before again lipping out.

After parring the ninth to reach the turn in two-under 34 with a one-shot cushion, he birdied the 10th and 11th to stay a stroke in front of the chasing Gay.

Though Stallings scrambled well to save par from a greenside bunker at the 12th and also at the par-five 14th, where he drove into a canal, he bogeyed 16 to drop back into a tie for the lead with Gay, Lingmerth and Howell.

After safely parring the 17th, Stallings struck a perfect drive down the 18th fairway but then stunningly pulled his approach into the lake guarding the left side of the hole, winding up with a bogey to finish a stroke outside the playoff.

Twice former champion Phil Mickelson, making his first appearance on the 2013 PGA Tour, signed off with a seven-birdie 66 to share 37th place at 17 under, having recovered well from a rusty 72 in the opening round.

"I feel a lot more confident in my game," said the four-times major champion, who had been battling flu-like symptoms earlier in the week. "I feel like I'm starting to play well, hit some putts on line.

"So hopefully I'll be able to make a run on the weekend here next week, because that's what's exciting, is having a chance to win," Mickelson added, referring to the January 24-27 Farmers Insurance Open.